Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe intends to resign to pave the way for the formation of a multi-party government, his office said in a statement today, following mass protests on Saturday.
The announcement followed the escalation of anti-government protests that forced the country's president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee his official residence in Colombo on Saturday, minutes before thousands of protesters stormed it, in one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in the country in recent months.
They also invaded the presidential residence - Diving into the presidential... pool
Some protesters, carrying Sri Lankan flags and helmets, invaded the residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, according to images reported by local television network NewsFirst in which protesters can be seen to have dived into the residence's swimming pool.
As reported by private TV network Sirasa TV, a crowd of protesters has stormed the presidential palace, which was until recently heavily guarded.
A Defence Services source said Rajapaksa remains Sri Lanka's president and has been moved to a safe location where the military is protecting him.
Earlier, thousands of people had flocked to the Colombo district where the government buildings are located, chanting slogans against the president and breaking several police barricades until they reached his residence.
Police fired in the air but failed to prevent the angry crowd from surrounding the presidential palace, an eyewitness said.
Source: in.gr
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